Ahh... Tsuritama. I didn't watch this show until the fifth episode came out so byt ehn I was practically bombarded with praise and gifs of the show showing off how amazing it was. So I decided to give it a try.

The beginning of the story made me feel so confused. All I understood was that there was a red haired awkward boy who was constantly followed around by an annoying white-haired self-proclaimed alien with a talking fish. However, as time passed on and more episodes were watched, everything became clear and the plot revealed itself. However, Tsuritama is so much more than that. It's
about a group of misunderstood outcasts who bond together over the hobby of fishing and understand the true meaning of friendship.

The art absolutely captivated me. When I first watched Tsuritama, the colorful bright array of colors was one of the only reasons I kept on watching. Enoshima was beautifully designed and colored to make it seem like a wonderful, peaceful place to live; and when the emotion of the story became hostile, they used the correct setting and colors to represent it. The character art isn't super gorgeous, but it's better than most animes out there.

The music used in the story fit each setting in the story perfectly. Its upbeat songs set the mood perfectly and sometimes it really pumped you up and sucked you in the anime even more. It can range from happy, to emotional, to an adventurous-type song. Even the sounds of the sea were realistic. If you closed your eyes, you could imagine yourself to be standing right next to the ocean.

Tsuritama oozes character development. The show does not really take in the time to get the complete background of the characters, but it gives you just enough to make you feel like they're on of your friends. Each one experiences some form of emotional growth, whether it's realizing how important family is to learning the virtues and friendship. The characters and their relationships absolutely touched my heart.

In the beginning, Tsuritama gave me mixed feelings but now it's touched me in so many ways and makes me appreciate the bonds I have with people even more. I implore you all to try out the anime; just watch a few episodes and you'll understand all of the praise that I have for it. Thank you.

The first thing that caught my eye was the superb art and colors. After watching the first episode, I was hooked (haha)
The entire show is amazingly amusing. It's the king that brings out the kindness and warmth to all of the viewers, the characters are astounding and unique, and the plot is original and and entertaining. I don't believe I have ever came across a better lighthearted comedy than this show, and the funny thing is, my favorite genre of anime is usually horror or action!

There is one more episode left, and I am on the edge of my seat right now waiting
for it, I suggest all of you should watch it and enjoy it as much as I do!

Tsuritama is a show that will exceed your expectations. It will lure you in hook, line, and sinker, and make you question how an anime about fishing could ever be quite so enjoyable.

The story is set in the quaint town of Enoshima. There, the show’s protagonists—Yuki, Haru, Natsuki, Akira, and Tapioca (*quack quack*)—all come together to share in a singular pastime: fishing.

It is through the characters’ forced participation to undertake in this hobby that we are able to truly understand each and every one of their personal anxieties and motivations. We are imbued with a real sense of fulfilment, as through their fishing we are
not only a witness to their own personal growth, but also to the most important theme of the show—friendship.

There can be no doubt that by the end of the last episode, you will find yourself truly invested in the characters. You will feel like you have walked through the streets of Enoshima yourself, and you will feel like you could just as easily cast off, and spend the afternoon winding down to a spot of fishing—it can be that immersive at times.

A big part of why is due to the art and the sound, which are both thoroughly quirky. The art in particular, opts for a unique style that colours the setting of Enoshima and its occupants, in a vivid, refreshing palette. It does a fantastic job of symbolising and emphasising certain parts, which at times can also make it feel rather reminiscent of a work by Shaft.

The use of sound is also well thought out. The OP and ED are incredibly catchy, and ease you into the feel of the show, whilst the soundtrack never feels repetitive, or out of place.

It should go without saying that there are obvious limitations. Notably, Haru, who you will turn out to either love or despise. There are also personal niggles of mine, which include how certain objects do not benefit from the art style, and how there is practically no development for the character Erika, but these are subjective.

Tsuritama, overall, feels like it offers exactly what it set out to do. It is silly, imaginative, and charming, never once complicating its wacky, yet simple plot with unnecessary information. It is a true feel good show that I can thoroughly recommend trying.

The main theme behind Tsuritama is a very simple one, and one which is very common in media - the power of friendship. Of course, as this isn't a silly battle shounen, it is much more than a simple excuse to randomly power up a character to beat the big bad evil, but rather, is a simple and heartwarming tale of how a mysterious alien boy manages to break the barriers of a few boys, helping them form bonds that would last a lifetime, helping them to grow beyond who they are.

Beyond its excellent slice of life portion, the show also features a very bizarre
plot. I often call these things silly, but it is done with some remarkable charm that I can't help but love it. Ranging from Tapioca to the D.U.C.K organization, the show mixes its 'serious' side with some very hilarious scenes, resulting in a great experience. The actual plot is pretty well done as well, resulting in a satisfying ending that perfectly concludes the series.

As yet another excellent entry into the slice of life genre, Tsuritama mixes the supernatural with strong characterization to create a hilarious and heart-warming work that can surely resonate with most.

With age comes a sense of self. Or at least, that's what Tsuritama wants us to believe. Ironically, though, the series itself never knows what it wants to be – is it a dramatic slice of life or a quirky, supernatural adventure? The result is ultimately spontaneous, for better or for worse.

Yuki has a hard time making friends. Always moving from place to place, there's little time for him to get to know anyone, and his social anxiety doesn't help. More than anything, he's afraid of being considered weird. But while living with his grandmother on the island of Enoshima, Yuki meets a self-proclaimed
'alien' transfer student named Haru. To make matters worse, his grandmother is allowing Haru to stay with them, and he's asked their classmate to teach them to fish. Some may find this to be a bit of a boring premise, and they'd be right – it's just done very reasonably. When the rag-tag group begins to learn to cast their lines, choose their bait, and have fun, the series is at its best; even though the drama presented isn't anything groundbreaking, there's more than enough to keep the viewer entertained and smiling through these episodes... Until the direction of the series shifts drastically.

Disorienting would be an understatement. The events that follow this change feel like two completely different shows quickly mashed together. Plot elements that were previously completely ignored or played off as jokes were then brought to the forefront, and the elements I was beginning to grow fond of became totally irrelevant. As Tsuritama makes its way down a long checklist of sci-fi and coming-of-age clichés, we learn more about the history and goals of our characters as they work their way towards an unexciting climax. Given that the characters are nearly impossible to care about, the drama goes nowhere; the only effort put into writing them is regarding how weird or unique they are. It's enough for a simple slice of life, but becomes intolerable once any relatively serious element comes into play.

The only real consistency viewers should note is within the art and sound. If anything, the latter is too consistent. While the music is fun and compositionally playful, there's little risk or direction taken with it. The soundtrack is seemingly only made up of woodwind instruments and the occasional percussion, and that's the problem. While it may compliment the occasional scene, it usually sticks out like a sore thumb. The cheerfulness of it all doesn't refrain from playing in the middle of more dramatic or tense moments, so why not make use of silence? Character designs are also notable, but not in a positive fashion. The visuals are incredibly close to being considered good; you're shown scene after scene of bold, watercolour-inspired scenery and characters, yet something as simple as their hair doesn't match up with the rest of the artstyle. Thankfully, it's probably the only thing in the show that looks outright ugly, but it was more than enough to bother me a few times every episode.

With the first half of Tsuritama serving only as a setup for the second, it feels like a playful accident in which character development was an afterthought. As a whole, it could probably be described as an all-too-sweet desert stuffed into you after you're already full. The extra course proved to be a bit too much for me, but the less picky may find it welcome or even superior to the main dish. Taste is a strange beast to tackle.

i usually dont finish 12 episode animes in two days, but when i do, i know its a real work of art.

if you're looking for a amazing anime to watch, than this is the one for you. it has everything you would want, awesome story, hilarious characters and one epic goal to bring them together.

the story does start of kind of slow, but for a good reason, the characters needs to develop the necessary skills in order to accomplish their goals, the real story actually starts around episode 5 than it really picks up, it picks up so much that i couldnt stop from episode
7-12, each episode keeps me wanting for more and more, and to me, i havent had an anime make me want to do that for a LONG time.

and also, one of my favorite hobbies is fishing, so this actually taught me a couple things, and thats always a bonus =)

give this anime a shot, you will be very surprised on how awesome it is

It's a bit early yet to say anything definitive about Tsuritama. And yet I think that it's not too early to describe the series as rather unique. Having said that, I'll edit this review as the season progresses.

Tsuritama was created by the same director who did Mononoke and Trapeze - two series memorable for distinctive visual style and approach to storytelling. I think in some ways Tsuritama is a younger sibling to those series - while it is certainly as interesting to look at and only mildly less thought-provoking, it has a sense of humor about it that is somehow invigorating - there's fun
to be had here, in a fishing village called Enoshima. The setting is certainly colorful, and it's got nothing on the characters.

Our lead, Yuki Sanada, is an anxious young man who has the unfortunate tendency to make a hideous facial expression whenever something makes him uncomfortable. His foil is a self-proclaimed alien invader named Haru who thus far seems to be capable of controlling people with a single squirt of his water gun. If it sounds like Haru is in any way sinister, you've been misled - so far, the only thing he enjoys using this power for is forcing unwilling high schoolers to dance a folk-dance. Haru is irrepressibly upbeat and smiley, and his character is more charming than anything else. Soon we meet a few other boys with social issues - there's Natsuki Usami, the "fishing Prince," who seems rather friendless and resentful of his father. And perhaps best of all is an Indian boy with a duck accomplice - yes, a duck - who seems to be investigating Haru. The duck's name is Tapioca; the boy's name is Akira.

So far, these kids aren't exactly all that friendly with each other. But we should give them time.

This show pretends to be about fishing, but it's not. It pretends to be about an alien invasion, but that's not quite it either. It sometimes seems to be about social anxiety, and that's closer to the mark. As of now, Tsuritama is sprouting into a show about friendship among misfits. Our protagonists are as goofy a bunch of oddballs as any that anime proffers, but it is already apparent that the best friendships may be grown from mutual weirdness.

If all of this seems rather vague and plotless when laid before you, I think in some senses that's the point. This show is deliberately casual and nearly introspective in the way it develops its characters. There's something beautiful i how not a great deal of fuss is made about the fact that one of the lead protagonists is probably from a foreign planet. The show manages to be leisurely and captivating, and most importantly - it doesn't seem to take itself too seriously. This is disarming, of course - because I think the show itself should be looked at with a serious eye.

This should appeal to fans of Kuragehime and Welcome to the NHK. Artistically and tonally, it has been noted that this is similar to Mawaru Penguindrum. I hope that Tsuritama earns a following like Penguindrum did, because it's just quirky enough to merit it.

Tsuritama (2012) is an “odd duck” (pun intended) of an anime, meaning it uses a less common style of story telling. While many stories can happen almost “anywhere,” and many occur in a fantasy location, this show has a very strong sense of a real place; namely Enoshima.

Enoshima is an actual Island at the mouth of the Katase River in Sagami Bay, on the Pacific Ocean. The island is connected to the mainland by a pair of 600m bridges; a pedestrian bridge and a bridge for motor vehicles. Enoshima and Sagami Bay were made world famous for being the harbour and the area where the
sailing races of the 1964 Olympic Games were held. The island is the centre of Shōnan, a popular resort area both because of the sandy beaches, and because of its proximity to Tokyo. Enoshima is roughly halfway between the center of Tokyo and the top of Mount Fuji.

The anime renders accurate depictions of the area, albeit with vibrantly exaggerated colours. The bridges, the sky tree (a prominent feature of Enoshima), the train stations, the high school, the beaches and piers, even the bridge at the mouth of the Katase River, and many other features of the area are all reproduced quite well for us here to enjoy.

This is a complex story with many layers and story types. It is partly a fishing story, partly a coming of age story, a story about the value of friendship and family, the importance of place, a even little bit of Man vs Alien, all with enough whimsy and over-the-top absurdity to keep it fun. With the exception of the opening of Episode 1, the entire story occurs in the Enoshima area, either on land or in the waters of Sagami Bay. And it is this strong sense of a real place that keeps the story somewhat grounded, even when the most absurd of events are occurring.

Almost all of the characters are, obviously, caricatures. The story is primarily about Yuki Sanada, a boy so helplessly self-conscious that he makes an absurd face when under stress which only makes him feel even more self-conscious and stressed. He lives with his Grandmother, Keito Sanada. Yuki is not particularly bright nor gifted in any way, but he is a nice guy when he’s not allowing himself to be too embarrassed to show it. Keito tries her best to guide and advise Yuki.

Upon arriving in Enoshima, an alien named Haru moves in with Yuki and Keito. Haru’s has arrived on Earth with his sister, Coco, and they have a mission to fulfil while here. Coco only shows up from time to time in the series. Haru immediately starts work on their mission, and Yuki is going to play a prominent role in fulfilling their mission on earth. Not being from earth, Haru is often unaware of human emotions and also find himself receiving plenty of advice from Keito.

Everybody needs a hobby, a pastime, or some goals in life. And everyone needs a mentor to be able to succeed at any of those. Natsuki Usami, a fellow high school student of Yuki and Haru, is a bit of a loner. Natsuki starts as the fishing instructor and mentor for Yuki and Haru and becomes a friend to them over time. He is a locally famous for his fishing skills and is called the “fishing prince” for his skills in competitions. Natsuki lives with his father and sister. His relations with his father are strained, but he holds his sister quite dear and is like another, much kinder, person around her.

The last of the main characters is the alien hunter, Akira Agarkar Yamada. He is older than Yuki, Haru and Natsuki, by about 10 years, but he ends up in the same high school anyway. Akira is quite aloof and another loner character. Akira keeps a white goose (or is it an oversized duck), named Tapioca, with him at all times, and constantly talks to it. Akira is an agent of “Duck,” a mysterious organization that tracks aliens. Akira has enough rank to have several agents who report to him, but still reports to several layers of superiors within “Duck.” Unsurprisingly, “Duck” has resources at its command that would make most Generals, and even most Commanders-In-Chief, jealous. As Akira follows and starts interacting with Haru and the rest, he becomes aware of the mission that Haru and Coco have, and starts to take part with fulfilling their mission while also making fiends with Natsuki, Haru and Yuki.

The story and action are the catalyst for the bringing together of these four characters. Haru, in part to fulfill his mission and in part because of how his character is, is usually the one to push and pull the story along until the climactic scenes. Learning any new skill takes time and practice and the process can be quite frustrating, even for fishing. But this learning process is the time when Haru, Yuki and Natsuki start to get to know each other, and during this process they become closer. It is also during this process that Akira stops watching from afar, and starts to participate with the others.

The story shows us how Yuki turns from an awkward boy with little by way of roots in any place, to a more confident young man with a deep connection to Enoshima; for this reason alone the story’s strong sense of place in Enoshima is critical. Haru, who knows little of human relationships, comes to learn of the importance of family and friends, and learns to participate as a friend amongst humans, all while receiving motherly advice from Keito and while being supported by his sister, Coco. Natsuki is able to open up enough to make friends with the others, and also opens himself up enough to improve his relations with his father. Meanwhile Akira is able to also open up and find friends, and to find the fortitude to stand up to what is important to him.

Fish tales are always hyperbole, and this anime is likewise over-the-top. But at its core is a heartwarming story about growing up and making friends, and about what friends can do together to overcome incredible hardships. It also shows that process of making friends is not without its own hardships, and that overcoming these hardships is well worth the effort. Likewise, the art style, the music, the story, the characters are all also over-the-top. But that it is all a bit over-the-top helps add to the comedy while softening some of the harsher moments.

Because it is a bit over-the-top it can be a bit hard to see the core of the story, specifically the character development of the main characters, at least at the beginning. But if you let yourself be taken in by this fish tale, you’ll have a whale of a time.

I expected Tsuritama to be a slow slice of life that recreated the relaxing atmosphere of fishing and was driven by dialogue. Sadly the characters are mostly annoying and the strangely shonen ending is last minute character development. The whole fishing aspect is a bit gimmicky and I thought it was wasted potential. Yamada (Sugita Tomokazu) is awesome and the anime is visually really pretty but its still not particularly interesting.

Being able to relate to the main character on the basis of being a socially awkward individual, I decided to give this anime a chance. I was more than pleasantly surprised.
I can understand why this isn't a top anime, it has its many, many flaws but the characters is not one of them. From the main character who is introduced as a young boy with the inability to hold social interactions and develop relationships, to his sick grandmother who supports him and provides the young boy with comfort and a honey coated tongue. All the characters are well thought out and have a great sense
of depth as seen throughout the summer in which they are seen; we able able to see them grow and develop. These characters surprise us in more ways we can count, they are not predictable nor are they exactly alike other characters we have previously seen in similar genres.
The way the characters interact with one another is entertaining and sometimes very realistic. They can be relatable in a way that you can link your own experiences to them and form a special type of bond as you can imagine yourself in their shoes, going through the same situations. Obviously with the supernatural themes it was harder to relate at some points, however the overcasting theme of the importance of friendship and good relationships was prevalent in many of these scenes which was another of its strong points as you could still understand where the characters where coming from.
However the actual story line was where the quality of the anime dropped considerably. Though it was well paced at most times, there were certain points where it really lacked in the art of story telling. Additionally, all the themes mixed together lead to a childish plot near the ending, one in which the viewer was unable to take the story seriously as it lacked depth. Despite this, there were some very high points where the story would bring tears to my eyes and warmth to my heart, though it was simplistic at times but this did not stop the message from coming across.
The art was extremely appealing and was another factor that I was initially drawn to. It was simplistic in a way that was visually pleasing and is recognisable due to the unique techniques used. The main setting was the sea and the way it was portrayed in this anime definitely didn't disappoint, everything from the fish to the reflection of the sun across the water made the visuals a great success for this anime, it was memorable and well done. It did a great job of adding to the story rather than taking away from it or being a distracting turn-off.
I particularly liked the opening and ending theme songs for this anime, they added very well to the story and they represented it very well with the opening being more upbeat and catchy and the ending more relaxing and soothing. The background music fit the situations well as they were not overly distracting, however they did not stand out well enough to be particularly noteworthy. The voices fit the characters well and was another strong point for the anime. They were each distinctive and portrayed the characters in their unique ways that gave them another layer of depth and realistic attributes.
Overall this story of overcoming hardships and anxiety, creating friends and having an adventure whilst fishing was a highly pleasing one that I would definitely recommend. It is a truly underrated anime that should be given more credit for its characters and development. It lingers on its main themes in a way that is intuitive and forces the viewers to reflect. This is an anime that would be enjoyed by most that gave it a chance.

I've just recently started doing reviews on Youtube, and thought I might as well share them over here. They were written for video-form though, so either read it or give it a watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX84r7k6vNM

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Tsuritama is a 12-episode show full of quirky fun and sympathetic characters. It was produced by Studio A1-Pictures and aired during 2012's spring season.
While directed by Nakamura Kenji and written by Oono Toshiya, it is most likely best recognized for its character designer, Uki Atsuya.
In this kinda SoF, kinda sports and kinda sci-fi anime, the headline is “You can't catch fish if you don't go fishing, and you can't
make friends if you don't at least try.”
The story follows Sanada Yuki, who just had to move to the island of Enoshima with his grandmother. His problem is, he's really bad at talking with strangers, can't handle pressure and therefore has problems making friends.
Then there's Haru, who just out of nowhere declares four things:
1. He's an alien.
2. He's now Yuki's friend.
3. He's now living with Yuki. and
4. He wants to learn fishing with Yuki.

“Why fishing?”, you may ask. Well, there seems to be one of Haru's kin living in the sea around the island and threatening all of humanity, and he chose Yuki to help catch him.
The dynamic between those two boys make out a great chunk of the show, as Haru really easily befriends just about anyone with his open and funny nature, and Yuki as the contrast, an introvert who usually prefers not to talk. Due to Haru having no clue of common sense from Yuki's perspective, they often clash with each other, but through that, Yuki can grow and become a better person making some friends on the way.
One of these friends is Natsuki, an experienced fisher in their age, called the “prince of fishing”, who's constantly in argument with his father after his mother died, but cares deeply about his little sister. And believe me, he and his problems get their time to shine.
Then there's Akira, an indian agent for a secret organization called “DUCK” with the mission to find, observe and capture aliens. He's also a big fan of fishing and therefore combines his hobby with Haru's observation. He also has a duck called Tapioca.
In the supporting cast, every character has their clear role and fulfills that without problems, Keito, the aforementioned grandmother, for example, who acts as a mentor for Haru or Koko, Haru's sister who doubts Yuki's ability to catch fish and puts even more pressure on him. And Tapioca is there as well. Just saying.
All the characters, be it main cast or a supporting role, are extremely fun to watch and likeable.

Like many other shows from A1-Pictures, Tsuritama's visuals seem gorgeous at first, especially in this case, as the unique artstyle full of blue and many light colors, really supports both the quirkyness and lightheartedness of the show. The animation though has some drops in the later parts from its usually pretty good standarts, but in this case, they aren't so major they'd interrupt your enjoyment of the show.

Tsuritamas soundtrack by a band called "Kuricorder Quartet" simply fits the show perfectly.
And while that may seem totally random, some parts reminded me of the music for the “lost woods” in “ocarina of time” and “kirby air ride”s OST, two of my all-time favorite videogames, so that is cool.
Most of the sound is really soothing and calm or supports the shows quirky atmosphere, but even when for example Natsuki's story arc reaches its dramatic climax, the OST can adapt to that. That said though, there aren't really that many pieces I'd listen to outside of the series, and in these more dramatic parts, the opening and ending can really easily feel out of place if you marathon the show.
My personal favorite tracks would be #1 – “Tsuritama March” and #19 - “Hajimete Tsuru”.

I can't really say anything about the japanese dub though, as I have no complaints whatsoever, but also can't crown one of the voice actors for doing a job out of the ordinarily good you find in any well made show.
As for the english dub, well, it's passable. If you don't tend to like dubs, this won't convince you otherwise, but if you don't feel like reading subtitles, you might as well consider it as long as you're not too picky.

Now, the only question left: Is Tsuritama worth the watch?
Yes, definetly, go for it. I wouldn't define it as a must-watch, but if you have the opportunity to see it, you'll most likely not be disappointed, as I think just about everyone can get something out of the show.

Wow. I'm surprised how this gem passed under my radar for so long. I've forgotten how long it was since I watched a show so fun and relaxing that I always have a stupid grin on my face after each episode.

Tsuritama is simple (the studio knows it) and sometimes simplicity is good enough for a show about fishing.

=================
THE REVIEW
=================

The show starts with Yuki, a socially awkward boy, transferring to a new school. There he
meets Haru, who's a hyperactive self-proclaimed alien, and invites him to fishing. Sounds silly? Don't worry it gets more sillier! Haha. From there on, you will see an indian guy, an alien organization that worships ducks, hilarious dances, squirt gun madness, a cool grandma, etc. You can actually see that the studio is having a great time making this show.

The background visuals are well suited to the show. It's simple but the colors are crisp and vibrant. There are times when the backgrounds looks like painting out of a canvass and it's just a treat to watch. The meshing of the colors are really relaxing to the eyes and you would just want to sit back, get a cool drink, and relax.

The pacing was also pretty good. Some might find it a little slow but for a premise such as fishing you don't need an adrenaline pumping sequence. Truthfully, every scene has a purpose and builds character.

=================
CHARACTERS
=================

This is where tsuritama shines. Our main characters feel so alive. Yuki starts off as an anxious boy who's had a difficult time making friends due to him and his Grandma moving places so frequently. Natsuki, the fishing prince, is a grumpy rebellious boy who has a family problem. Ya-maaaaa-dah, the indian guy, starts off as a stalker. Haru, the alien, is just there to annoy Yuki. Each episode always bring something to their characters and by the end of the show they have shown a new level maturity and growth.

The supporting characters are also engaging specially the Grandma, Natsuki's family, and Tapioca the duck. Yes...the duck. I can't count how many times I've laughed whenever Tapioca gets a screentime. And come on, it's name alone makes me crave for a bubble tea.

I also liked the symbolisms. From Yuki getting drowned whenever anxious, Haru carrying a fishbowl, Natsuki getting a haircut, the flowers in the garden, etc. It provides a nice contrast to the silliness of the show.

The soundtrack is also good, I find myself always looking forward to the ED. When that "Hooo..Ho Ho..Ho Ho." starts to fade in, I find myself humming to the tune and singing it. It's a nice song to listen to when you're at the beach.

For a SoL show, there is actually an overarching plot that slowly gets develop with each episode so even with the "compelling story guys", they will have a hard time bashing the show.

=================
VERDICT
=================

Tsuritama tells a good story and message. Like fishing, we may find ourselves bored and exhausted with our everyday lives; but when we finally caught that elusive fish, friendship in Yuki's case, it makes all those difficult moments worth it. Thing is, we should always cherish the smallest things in our lives no matter the hardship because that's what living comes down to.

There a some flaws with the show and I'm pretty conflicted whether I should deduct it to my score. It could've been better to add more characters or show some character's backstory but at the same time it felt like the overall intention of the show might get lost if it was the case. So ultimately, I give it:

9.5/10!

Tsuritama is one of the best on its genre. It's full of enjoyable characters and silly moments. Don't watch this show with the intention of getting an adrenaline pumping story. A good way is to watch it once a week, gather your snacks, and watch with a friend or family.

I loved this series so much. I generally have a low concentration rate, and find myself needing a few breaks between anime episodes, but for some reason I found myself excited, and almost always engaged with what was going on in this show. I had to remind myself to get food after a while because I'd been too distracted by it.
Of course it depends on personal opinion, as all anime does, but I certainly recommend giving it a try.
The plot was certainly interesting and different. It didn't have too much going on, so the story was easy to follow, yet also had a good balance
between funny and light hearted scenes and the tense and heart warming ones in my opinion.
I thought the animation was cute. It may not have been the best drawn most detailed animation ever, but I think it fit the style and the flow of the series.
I also thought the music fit in well too.
I found myself liking all of the characters, especially the main two Yuki and Haru. Haru's personality is really fun and sweet, and watching Yuki's growth from start to finish was fun.
To me this series was really enjoyable. I don't think you should watch or not watch it because of the fishing, but more the whole thing,the aliens, the ducks, the weird dancing. It's just so fun~
Overall, I gave it a 10. I always rate things based on my enjoyment of them, and since I was always entertained and enjoyed watching this, that's what my score came to.

Watch the series from beginning to end. The first 5 episodes are slow, but it definitely picks up from there. The pacing of the story is like that of a swelling wave: first you don't notice how slowly it's building up, and then suddenly it's 30 feet high and growing more impressive by the second.

At first, I rated this anime an 8, but right now it's a solid 10, and it wouldnt have been without the earlier episodes to build it up to the final and beautiful conclusion.

The anime isn't exactly slice of life, if I had to pick a genre, it would
probably fit best in that category in terms of feel.

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Characters: 10
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The story starts off with two main protagonists: Yuki (Japanese: Winter Snow) the red head with a fear of being stared at, and Haru (Spring), the innocent alien whose complete lack of self-consciousness allows him to bond with everyone. The story then expands to include Natsuki (Nastu=Summer), the reclusive fishing Prince with family problems, and Akira (Aki=fall), the indian who grew up friendless and claims that friendship is unnecessary. Each of these characters has a problem that they try to deal with on their own, but is unable to overcome until they accept the help from their friends.

Haru is the most polarizing character of the bunch. Because he's an alien, he inadvertently says or does some very, very offensive things. Like, "wow please just get punched in the face now" offensive. If you hate the series because of Haru, or because the plot is too slow, just stick with it, because I promise it gets better.

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Plot: 10
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Yes, there is some plot. From the first episode, you see that an fishy alien (Haru) comes down to earth and meets the socially-anxious Yuki, and asks him to fish with him. Plot wise, the anime goes deeper into how Yuki masters each fishing technique (shounen-style) from his tutor Natsuki, while Akira, the DUCK officer, tries to observe Haru without drawing suspicious. While this might not sound exciting enough to make you keep watching, I promise you it is better than it sounds. And that the main draw of the anime isn't exactly the plot as it is the character development and the forging of friendships

Perhaps the most beautiful part of this anime is seeing how each of these characters manages to change dramatically from the start of the series to the end, especially when you notice that a development in one character manages to spur maturity in another, and etc. Isn't this how we mature as people in real life, as well?

- Pacing Note -

First 5 episodes - slow, but the effort the show puts into developing basically every character and story you'll run into makes the emotional payoff from these episodes worth it. You have to pay attention, because there are so many beautiful little details scattered throughout that I didnt notice until I rewatched them (after episode 11)

All episodes after the first 5: just ridiculously amazing. The plot resurfaces after seemingly been shoved aside for awhile, and everything just picks up.

- Overall, this a beautifully drawn anime with a relatively simple (though eccentric) plot of how these 4 really different people meet, become friends, and change each other for the better.

After finishing Tsuritama, I felt compelled to write a review. This anime managed to grasp me more than any other sports anime I've watched so far (though all I've watched is Free! and part of Haikyuu!! currently). It has the same sequence as the others: people who have their odds but have to come together in the end for a common goal. But the characterization in this one made it special to me.

Story and Character: 10
I'm doing these together because I couldn't write about them apart. I liked that this wasn't some romantic relationship based show where the shy boy meets a girl who changes
him. The way it happened, not just by accident but by deliberate choice on the outgoing boy's part, was funny, The story wouldn't have unfolded the same if it had been up to fate or by accident due to the main character's (Yuki) stifling fear of interaction with people. Haru was this breath of fresh air because he wasn't just some outgoing, cute character who changed everyone in town. The way he struggled to interact with or like a human was different than the usual half animal struggles so it gave him a new special aspect and his goal of the show along with how he developed throughout and his interactions with Keiko, Yuki's grandma, gave him depth.

Natsuki was the brooding character of the series but I think the best part about him was the family aspect of his character. He softened pretty quickly towards Yuki and Haru, even once in the first episode because of his sister around. But with him there was more for him to deal with than the fishing and that was dealing with loss and staying with his family. His growth was based here and that was the most important thing to him.

Yuki had all the personal growth of the series left to him. He had obstacles and hurdles and barrels of things to get past before he could be the greater person in episode 12.

Keiko was really just cute and quirky and a great voice of wisdom throughout the series. She'd be the coolest grandma and I'm glad she was one of the main parental figures for both Haru and Yuki.

Art: 9
The art in this one was cool and fun. It was super generic or cookie-cutter like many animes can be and they did something a little different that worked with the flow and feel of the story. The quirky style was a great addition to the whole package.

Sound: 8
The music throughout was cute and went along with the show well.

I felt overwhelmed, as I still do, with love for this series. It wasn't like the other sports animes I've watched where everything is really intense and emotional. It was an upbeat, funny chance and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I hope I can find more comedic sports animes like this one because it was just a nice feel good show that I would recommend to anyone.

Tsuritama is happiness distilled into anime form. It's all bright colors and kind people and cute psychic alien fish boys, completely ridiculous and filled with emotion and joy. Gets extra credit from me for showing kids with realistic depictions of social anxiety and family difficulties, then making them happy too.

*updated* Ah, fishing. It's how a group of four boys will quite possibly save the world.

I'll be first to say that the premise of four quasi-bishonen boys is what enticed me to start tsuritama. The statement that this show is about an amazing story of saving the world comes at a close second.

Tsuritama spends part of the show developing characters and relationships and such, like an entertaining extended backstory. It has a very light mood, heavily reminiscent of a slice-of-life comedy, mixed with a little "Growing-Up Protagonists". However, without saying too much, the series then takes a relatively dark turn; and the original hook for
the series, the saving-the-world part, is addressed. The development of the characters from the earlier portion of the show further adds to the drama, and it makes a good normal-boys-turned-hero tale. With all this said, it is still not an action or fighting anime. It was never meant to be, but that doesn't mean it lacks suspense and emotion.

Speaking of the characters, they are all very interesting, to begin with. In the main cast, first impressions are as follows: There's the But-Not-Too-Foreign Yuki with his thizz face panic attacks, the adorable alien Haru, Akira, the turban-wearing spy guy, and Natsuki, the tsundere fishing prince. With glasses. That doesn't even begin to cover all of tsuritama's characters. All of the cast is quirky and well-developed and it's truly fun to watch them interact with each other.

I suck at critiquing art, but the art is particularly pretty and fascinating in tsuritama; with vibrant color palettes and seemingly brand new blends of ocean blue. The use of animated cut-out style backgrounds is kind of cool. In no way does the art style look cheap-o whatsoever, and they do great justice to the sea. They don't make water look overly realistic looking, but it is just as well-animated with the occasional cut-outs or lots of pretty blends of blue.

The sound makes good use of whimsical instruments and such, like flutes and recorders, to suit the relatively light mood of the series that takes place by the ocean. When necessary, the sound is able to take the central themes and create multiple semi-orchestral versions to suit the situation, varying from triumph to touching. Darker themes exist too, and they are executed quite well for such an airy series. It is well-suited to the series and fitting, but then again, it is nothing TOO spectacular; and for that it loses some points. I'd also like to pay special attention to the opening sequence, 'cause the song is really freaking catchy. The dancing OP is not as out of place as one would think it'd be, since it is a traditional Japanese dance (at least I think it is); and hey, Haru had the mind control gun. He could totally be controlling the cast to dance. The voice actors, as well, are very suited to their characters, especially Haru's bubbly voice.

I definitely recommend tsuritama: It's a story packed with great characters, humor, and captivating art.

The story was very unique, but in a way it was almost it's crutch. While I did l enjoy the creative mix of fishing, supernatural, and alien, sometimes the absurdity of it all made the the story feel kind of silly. There were where times when the mixing of genres would take away the bite out of serious moments, of course there were also those pitched perfect moments where everything just came together. It was a bit awkward, but for the most part, it just worked.

I am a real sucker for interesting art styles, I really couldn't help but appreciate that in
Tsuritama. The vibrant colors really made this anime pop, and it really suited a lot of the characters. Towards the end of the series a lot of that color was brought down to fit the climax, what little color was left really gave it a surreal sort of tone, fitting for an alien.

The music was great through out the series, though I did wish they would have changed the eyecatch a little at times. Hearing its happy tone interrupting some of the more serious moment was a bit unsettling, luckily the series remained happy go lucky most of the time, so this problem didn't occur too much.

In all honestly, I had some trouble getting used to Haru at the beginning, but I eventually warmed up to is absurd personality. As the story went on, Haru along with the rest of the cast became easier to sympathize with or just generally like. Whether it is the father who is trying to fix the strained relationship with his son, or the hilarious antic of the love struck small time ship captain. More notably our MC Yuki, a severely socially awkward young man, who is changed by a couple of strange new acquaintances, brought together by fishing. We get a few really great character breakthroughs in the series that is just handled very well.

I'm not one who easily enjoys everything they watch, but I really enjoyed this series. I enjoyed it for its modesty, something I don't see as often in anime, something that was very apparent in this series (unless you misread friendships for something else). The bond shared by close friends, and their obstacles they overcome together, something simple in a complex setting, something that just work.

Overall this series although not the greatest anime ever. A colorful story, wonderfully designed/likable characters, odd setting and an equally odd plot. Tsuritama is a great watch, and a solid 8 from me.

Tsuritama is a charming series that displays a well measured balance between feel-good sentiment and emotional weight. I think it is worthy of comparison to the great sci-fi film, Donnie Darko. Whilst more lighthearted than Donnie Darko, Tsuritama shares several themes and settings - manipulation, small world significance, social displacement and social anxiety.

The artwork is in perfect synergy with the setting of the series and serves to inform the revelations in the story that arrive later on. The colour palette and fantasy representations of the main character's state of mind suggest an aesthetic intention that goes beyond providing what is necessary to tell the story.
The aquatic-ethereal nature of the artwork compliments the fantastical events that occur throughout the series.

I think my biggest criticism of the series would be 'Duck'. This is where Tsuritama skirts a little bit away from the fantastical and into the riduculous. That being said, Yamada's character is compelling and essential to the story.

This was an easy 9 for me. This the anime you'll want to show your kids when they start growing up. This is the anime you'll watch as you get older and the world gets more complicated and you want to unearth nostalgic feelings of simpler times, youth and friendship.

Story: Tsuritama is a coming of age story about a boy name Yuki who moves to Enoshima with his grandmother and why you ask does this have anything to do with FISHING? Well, a lot actually. Through his time in this small town he not only learns to make friends but develop into a "hero." Yes I said hero, because our main character Yuki somehow wound up saving the plant.

Art: The art by far is quite interesting, and you can see this through the opening and the show during regular times. Nothing much to say in this department, so compliments to the design team. For
the most part the art is well done with the use of bright colors emitting the surrounding and characters. One specific character... and that's Haru enthralled me especially with his outfits.

Sound: Now this is what makes Tsuritama almost perfect... its music. With no negativity whatsoever the music is done well in that it does not fail to capture the feeling of hanging out on an island- if you get what I mean. Truth is, I've never been to enoshima nor have I ever went fishing, but the surrounding plus the music makes it all feel fresh and not boring... a good way pass time REALLY!

Character: Yuki *Claps *Claps Sorry, its just so beautiful to see a character like Yuki grow almost like how beautiful it is seeing a plant sprout and grow into a beautiful flower. Weird metaphor but I wouldn't put it any other way. Yuki hands down might be my favorite character... that's probably enough to see the show, but I'll bring in another character. Haru, ah Haru is the perfect foil to the extremely quite Yuki in that he talks a lot for a guy and speaks his mind. If you could have two people who could read each other's mind I think it'll be Yuki and Haru; one is so dependent of the other. I didn't mention but the other characters also main characters as well are awesome.

Enjoyment: I gotta say that Tsuritama is an anime I always look to for good character development and world building. It's not great that the anime takes place in a rural town but this (Enoshima) is where the country kids are given a more broad look at... things like phones, computers, shopping malls aren't apparent on the countryside so they take fun in fishing! I love it. The theme is so real and inspiring, like I really want to go fishing now... thanks Tsuritama.

Overall: Maybe try the anime out and see how it goes? One thing you won't miss for sure is the life that Tsuritama brings to both it's character and surrounding city of Enoshima. I desperately hope for a second season, but for now let's just dream. My impression of Tsuritama was that it was very good- not gonna lie I was clapping at Yuki's development in the end and smiling... yeah so that might make some intrigue. Peace out!